When operating brick-and-mortar locations, retailers know that providing effective customer service is vital to boosting retention and loyalty. That also applies to merchants that run ecommerce sites, as online shoppers expect the same service aspects while browsing for and purchasing products through the internet.

According to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), consumers are becoming happier with online shopping. On a 100-point scale, the current index for February stands at 81.1, which is a 1.2 percent jump from last month. This points to improvements in ecommerce customer service, as more companies are focusing on these elements to create loyal patrons.

"Just as we have seen in the public sector, consumers enjoy the convenience and power of ecommerce and online transactions," said ACSI founder Claes Fornell. "Ecommerce is maturing, and even the smaller companies are improving, keeping up with or sometimes surpassing larger, more established companies."

To further improve online customer service, Business 2 Community suggests that retailers give shoppers options for reaching out to companies through their preferred channels. In addition, asking for feedback on where enhancements can be made is an effective strategy.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Friday, March 1st, 2013 at 5:37 am .